Portable touch-up shoe shine kit



E. PALTIEL ET AL PORTABLE TOUCH-UP SHOE SHINE KIT Filed April 4, 1952 Nov. 15, 1955 Affi/71%) IN VEN TORJ' EPHRAIM PALTIEL MONTE GAU MONT United States Patent PQR'IABLE TOUCH-IUI SHOE SHINE KI'` Ephraim Paltiel and Monte Gaumont, New York, N. Y.

Application April 4,1952, Serial No.. 280,599

Claims. (Cl.` 15-258) This invention relates to combination .apparatus `for performinga plurality of functions and more particularly to an apparatus for applying wax to a :shoe or .Similar .article and .then polishing :the waited shoe.

The principal .object of .this invention is to provide a novel combination shoe waxing and polishing device.

Another object of this invention is .to construct the novel combination. shoe waxing .and L.polishing device in such `manner that the same is capable :of being .carried `on the -person, whether by 4man .or woman, `for the purpose of .quickly touching up vscuied shoes.

Still :another .object `of .this inventionis to construct the novel combination shoe waxing and polishing device in ,such imanner that the same is capable of ,being manufactured `at reasonable cost.

For further comprehension o f vthe invention, and of .the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had :to the following description `and accompanying drawings, ,and lto 4the .appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention .are more particularly .set forth.

.On the accompanying .drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of the device of .the iny vention and illustrates the portable nature thereof.

Fig. 2 is a `top plan'vievv of the device as .seen in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the Ydevice .taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig- 4 is La sectional view taken on line 4-4 `of Fig- 3- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is antelevational -view of the device in an operating condition with certain parts broken away-and others sectioned to illustrate the construction.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view, illus- -trating a feature of the construction ofthe device.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrates a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the modified form of the invention in open condition.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrates still another form of the invention.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective View of the means shown in Fig. 10 with certain parts broken away to illustrate the construction.

Referring now to Figs l to 7 there is shown a combination shoe waxer and polisher having a base member 10 which may be of metal, plastic or other suitable material. In the present instance member 10 is generally rectangular in form with the corners of the rectangle rounded, but if desired, any other suitable cross sectional formation may be used. The base member 10 is provided at its ends with portions 11 and 12 of smaller cross section which may be of the same formation as the base or not as desired.

Two cap members 13 and 14 are provided and arranged to removably secure on the portions 11 and 12 respectively by force fits. Preferably, the configurations of cap members 13 and 14 are such as to form a continuous sur- ICC .face with base member 10 when fitted on the respective portions 11 and 12.

A clip 20 is provided onthe cap member 14 for the purpose of attaching the combination device of the invention to a pocket or other suitable place.

A stick -15 of shoe wax is cemented or otherwise secured at its end in a well 16 provided in base Amember 10. Preferably the Wax stick 15 is formed with a generally rectangular cross section and with a rounded tip 17, see Fig. 3.

The described construction simplifies use of the wax stick and permits access to generally 'inaccessible areas of shoes. Further, the wax stick 15 may be wrapped in paper 18 adapted to be removed section .by section as the stick is consumed. This, of course prevents bits of wax from falling from the stick o nto articles which might be.

propriately oiled base for facilitating thereof application and polishing.

The base member 10 also forms a support for a polishing cloth 21 which comprises an ample piece of material suitable for shoe polishing, for example, carpeting, and which is arranged to be folded into a compact unit when not in use and to be expanded when in use .to form a large polishing surface.

The mounting means for polishing cloth 21 include a blade or standard 22 embedded or otherwise secured in base member 19 and a support spring 23 of suitable resilient material such as, for example, spring steel. The polishing cloth 21 is cemented or otherwise secured to VSpring 23 and the latter, at its center, is secured to the free end of standard 22.

Preferably the free end of standard 22 is provided with serrations or the like to prevent creeping of the polishing cloth.

The said securement of spring 23 is best .shown in Fig. 7 and includes a notch orl cutout 24 in the free end of standard 22 and a narrowed central portion '2S of spring 23 embraced'in said notch. A pin 26 projected through standard 22 and the narrowed portion 25 of spring 23 serves to secure the spring to the standard. Preferably pin 26 is other than round to prevent pivoting movements thereon.

Preferably spring 23 is stressed beyond its elastic limit so that it normally assumes the V-shape shown in Fig. 6. Therefore the polishing condition of cloth 21 is as shown in Fig. 6. Obviously one side or the other of the .cloth can be used for polishing a waxed shoe without danger of the base member 10 coming into contact with the latter and without danger of soiling the hands by Contact with the waxed shoe. Preferably the device is gripped for polishing by grasping body member 10 and cap 13 in the hand.

When polishing cloth 21 has served its purpose, cap member 14 is placed thereover, such action compressing the two arms of spring 23 against standard 22. Preferably the edges of the narrowed portion 25 of spring 23 are bevelled as at 29 to facilitate such compression.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9 wherein like parts are given the same reference numerals as in the other figures but with a prime added, there is disclosed a modified construction of the polishing cloth supporting means.

Embedded in base member 10 is a blade like standard 22' having a wedge 30 of sponge rubber or the like cemented or otherwise secured to either face thereof with its wide end adjacent the base member.

Preferably, the wedges 30 are formed integrally and are connected by a thin portion 31 which extends over the free end of standard 22. Cemented to the wedges 3 30 and their connecting piece 31 is a polishing cloth 21' of the sort described above.

Referring to Fig. 9, it is evident that the sponge rubber wedges 30 perform the same function as spring 23 described above, namely to spread the ends of polishing cloth 21 out from standard 22 to facilitate the use thereof in polishing shoes. As shown in Fig. 8, the wedges 30 are compressed when cap 14 is placed over polishing cloth 21 to conceal the latter.

Referring now to Figs. and ll wherein like parts are given the same reference numerals as in the other figures but with a double prime added, there is disclosed another modification of the invention which embodies features of both of the previously described modifications.

A blade like standard 22" is embedded in the base member 10 and at its free end is provided with a notch 24 adapted to receive the cut away center portion 25" of a V-shaped blade spring 23". As shown spring 23" is secured to standard 22" by a square pin 26 which extends through the narrowed portion 25 thereof. Spring 23", unlike its previously described counterpart does not extend substantially to the base member 10 but rather only extends a fraction of the distance to the said base member.

Cemented to or otherwise secured to the outer face of spring 23 and extending over the free end of standard 22" is a strip 32 of sponge rubber or the like which at either end has formed integrally therewith a wedge like block 33 extending along standard 22 from immediately adjacent the ends of spring 23" to a point adjacent the base member 10".

As shown, the wider ends of the wedges 33 are located adjacent the base member 10". A polishing cloth 21 is cemented or otherwise secured to the strip 32 and the wedges 33.

The construction is such that as shown in Fig. 10 and in full lines in Fig. 11, that portion of polishing cloth 2l secured to strip 32 and thereby to spring 23" is extended away from standard 22" by the action of the spring whereas the portions thereof secured to the wedges 33 are spread away from the standard by the natural resilience of the sponge rubber forming the wedges. Of course the wedges 33 and the spring 23 are compressed in the same manner as indicated above.

The advantage of the combined spring and wedge construction is found in the manner in which the same reacts when the device is being used to polish shoes. When a spring alone is used the inherent stiffness of the spring prevents curvature of the polishing cloth to act on more than a small area of the shoe at any given time. Of course this is desirable in some instances, for example when polishing two tone shoes. On the other hand, when only the wedge construction is utilized the entire length of the polishing cloth secured to each wedge will curve about the shoe and act on a large area thereof. However, in some instances this is undesirable, for example when the Wax on the shoe is in a wet state and creates a large amount of friction. Obviously the combined spring and wedge construction can be utilized to advantage under any of the conditions mentioned. The stiffer spring supported portions of the cloth can be used if desired, or the softer wedge supported portions.

It is to be understood that this brush may be used to dust the shoe before applying polish to the shoe, and after the application of the shoe polish the brush becomes the polishing or shining device. As shown in Figures 6 and 10 the free end of the spread polishing cloth is wider than the width of base 10 and therefore cannot come in contact with the shoe during the polishing.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe treating article comprising a base structure, wax application means in said base structure; a support extending vertically from said base structure, a downwardly and outwardly diverging spring directly secured intermediate its ends on said support, polishing means on said spring and a removable cover fitted over said spring and compressing same.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said spring is of inverted V-shape with the ends thereof free.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said vertical support includes a central notch, said intermediate portion of said spring being seated in said central notch space, and a pin extending through said support and spring to secure the spring to the standard.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said spring is bevelled adjacent said central notch portion to facilitate closing.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said vertical support is provided with serrations to prevent the polishing means from creeping.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 644,977 Gilbert Mar. 6, 1900 844,865 Hames Feb. 19, 1907 1,534,827 Aste Apr. 21, 1925 1,703,257 Bengel Feb. 26, 1929 2,204,784 Abrams June 18, 1940 

